The strength of a magnet’s pull depends on its magnetic properties and the strength of its field. There are several reasons why companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is investing $165 billion in its game-changing West Valley facilities, and Amkor, with its $2 billion facility and 500,000 square feet of clean room space in Peoria, have been drawn to the West Valley technology ecosystem.

The West Valley has the workforce talent, educational pathways and regional collaboration to support and attract tech and advanced manufacturing businesses now, and in the future.

Growth Starts With A Spark

In addition to TSMC and Amkor, Microsoft invested $258 million to acquire 280 acres in the El Mirage area to support data center development. But it’s not just the tech giants who are being pulled toward the magnetic tech field of the West Valley. Startups find that the region is ripe with opportunities to get technology businesses off the ground. In 2024-2025, the West Valley Innovation Alliance aided 47 startups in creating business plans and securing funding.

Several catalysts contribute to the tech sector’s growth in the West Valley, but perhaps chief among them is collaboration.

“WESTMARC has been a force to be reckoned with in transforming the West Valley into a unified, high-performing region for tech sector growth,” says Jeanine Jerkovic, economic development director for the City of Surprise. “Its leadership in convening stakeholders, amplifying regional assets and advancing legislative and workforce priorities ensures we compete effectively for transformational tech investments.”

As part of ongoing collaborative efforts to foster the West Valley’s growing technology presence, the City of Surprise established “Spark Surprise.” This program is a reimagined initiative for innovation, entrepreneurship and startups within the community.

“In spring 2025, we launched Spark Surprise, a business development hub set to open in the heart of our dynamic new downtown district on Elm Street,” Jerkovic says. “Co-located near our future employment corridor at Surprise City Center, Spark Surprise will serve as a launchpad for founders, providing wraparound services and scalable resources for startups rooted in technology and innovation.”

Innovation Soars With Canyon Ventures 

As of June 2024, Grand Canyon University’s startup business accelerator, Canyon Ventures, housed 13 companies and employed 56 GCU students and 16 GCU alumni.

The accelerator operates out of a co-working space at GCU, providing resources, support, mentorship, training and more for students and entrepreneurs. Several technology businesses were born through Canyon Ventures and have since flourished. Since its inception in 2020, the startup incubator has helped launch and cultivate several thriving companies in the tech and advanced manufacturing space.

Weston Smith, founder and CEO of Lux Manufacturing, played an integral part in the establishment of Canyon Ventures. Developing electric longboards out of his dorm room presented the young entrepreneur with a dilemma. “My roommates were going to evict me because I had all this stuff just floating around,” he says.

Before his impending eviction, Smith took swift action. “I went and talked to the dean of the business college, who happened to be Dr. Randy Gibb, now the provost, and said, ‘Dr. Gibb, I need a place to work. Can I have a storage closet?’”

Smith got more than a storage closet and was provided with workspace in an old business complex. A year later, Canyon Ventures was born, with Smith as the accelerator’s first occupant.

Now, Smith heads up Lux Manufacturing, a company that provides high-precision CNC milling and lathe operations, solid model machining and high-volume assembly for a range of industries, including medical devices, industrial equipment, sustainable energy, semiconductors and consumer electronics.

Full-Circle Opportunities

Kevin Vega and Suman Dangol, co-founders of Vox Custom AI Solutions, are also part of Canyon Ventures’ entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Canyon Ventures has been more than just a home base,” Vega says. “It has been the engine behind our acceleration. Being in the West Valley puts us in the middle of a growing innovation ecosystem, but what really helped us take off has been the support of Robert Vera, the founding director of Canyon Ventures.”

Dangol adds, “Robert has been pivotal to the growth of The Vox Company as a mentor, connector and early believer in what we’re building.”

Since their time with Canyon Ventures, Vega and Dangol earned $5,000 and the AZ Venture of the Year Award at GCU’s Demo Day in February for their Vox Box, touted as the world’s first AI-powered business consultant in a box. The Vox Box produces solutions for businesses by providing artificial intelligence, design, branding and marketing services.

“Winning AZ Venture of the Year was a major milestone for us,” Dangol explains. “It validated everything we’ve been working toward and showed that Arizona is ready to lead in AI.”

The co-founders agree that the AZ Venture of the Year Award helped Vox’s credibility with new clients and partners and opened doors to bigger opportunities.

“We’re building on that momentum by expanding into new industries, launching more AI solutions and growing our team,” Vega says.

As Vox continues to scale, Vega and Dangol have come full circle with Canyon Ventures and GCU.

“Thanks to the foundation of Canyon Ventures, we’ve been able to tap into amazing student talent from GCU, partner with other startups and connect with a strong network of local business leaders and investors,” Dangol says. “Canyon Ventures gives us more than just a place to work. It gives us momentum.”

In addition to Canyon Ventures, Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo College of Business — working in partnership with the City of Peoria — launched the GCU Entrepreneur Training Program, a free, four-month initiative designed to support startups and small businesses while driving economic development in Peoria, and this includes the tech sector.

“If there’s ever a time to be an entrepreneur, I believe now is the time,” says Robert Vera, founding director of Canyon Ventures. “I think that it’s a really great time for the City of Peoria and for the country, so we’re really excited to be able to deliver this.”

West Valley Technology Collaboration Continues

Above and beyond cultivating new tech businesses and startups, collaborative efforts between cities and educational institutions are also bolstering the West Valley’s workforce pipeline.

“In a high-tech economy, workforce is infrastructure and Surprise is fully committed to developing a future-ready talent pipeline,” Jerkovic says. “We collaborate with key educational institutions like Ottawa University-Arizona (OUAZ), West-MEC, the Dysart Unified School District CTE programs and Estrella Mountain Community College to deliver responsive, employer-informed curricula in high-demand fields like cybersecurity, software engineering, robotics and applied technology.”

Surprise also has a CTE Competition Series with OUAZ, launched after successfully hosting the 2024 Future Business Leaders of America Region 4 Conference. In 2025, Surprise scaled the initiative to include Arizona HOSA (a global, student-led organization that focuses on empowering future health professionals through education, collaboration and experience) and DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America), bringing more than 1,500 students from across the state to compete at the shared Surprise City Hall–OUAZ downtown campus.

“These immersive, career-based competitions aren’t just resume-builders; they’re gateways to real-world tech experience and employer engagement,” Jerkovic says.

Maricopa Community Colleges (MCC) has also partnered with heavy hitters such as Intel to develop an accelerated Semiconductor Technician Quick Start program, recognized as a national model for rapid workforce development.

What’s Ahead For West Valley Technology?

According to WESTMARC’s “West Valley Industry Growth Projection (2022 to 2030),” technology employment is poised to experience a 13% increase between 2022 and 2030. Education stakeholders and workforce development partners are ready and prepared to support the rapid growth taking place in the West Valley.

“Regional collaboration positions the West Valley as a credible and compelling destination for advanced industry growth,” Jerkovic concludes.  – more at azbigmedia.com